The semiconductor industry is increasingly being driven to decrease the size of semiconductor devices located on integrated circuits. For example, miniaturization is needed to accommodate the increasing density of circuits necessary for today's semiconductor products. As a result, there are continuing efforts to scale down the size of features formed using conventional CMOS processes. Moreover, the recent development of nanotechnology devices and methods has ushered in even smaller-sized devices. Because of this trend, there is a growing need for detection and characterization modalities that are able to detect and/or characterize defects in the materials used to form the semiconductor devices. Such detection and characterization often is required on the molecular or even atomic level. For example, atomic level interface imperfections and single defects in self-assembled nanowires and CNTs can dramatically affect performance
Unfortunately, conventional capacitance-based defect characterization methods such as deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) cannot be applied to nanodevices because of the lack of sensitivity due to the small capacitance inherent in nanodevices. Consequently, there is a need for a new microscope modality that is capable of identifying and characterizing molecular and/or atomic defects in nanodevices. A method and device is needed that is capable of realizing single defects with high sensitivity.